The 2021 NFL Playoffs are only two weeks away. Less than half the field is set.
Only six teams have punched their postseason tickets and the race for the top seed in each conference remains open, though the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers are likely to hold down those spots for the second straight year. The AFC is the sloppier side; 12 teams are left fighting for six spots over the final two games of the regular season. Things in the NFC are a bit tighter; with five teams already invited to the dance and only two spots remaining.
That means we have a pretty good idea of who’ll be hosting playoff games on the National side of the league this winter. Three of the four divisions have been clinched and a clear divide remains between the haves (Green Bay, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Arizona) and the have-nots (the six other teams that haven’t yet been eliminated from consideration).
Let’s talk about them — the good teams specifically and not Washington. Parity has ruled in an NFL where the Packers can get absolutely boat-raced by Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers can get shut out by that same Saints team, only with Taysom Hill at quarterback. No one is invincible, and a Wild Card team making it to the Super Bowl would hardly qualify as a surprise.
What could bring down each division champion? Like we did last week in the AFC, let’s break down the fatal flaws in the NFC’s top contenders.
